


Mirror Images

by AwesomeAwesomeness



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: F/M, Season 2
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-17
Updated: 2016-12-28
Packaged: 2018-09-08 18:51:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8856880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AwesomeAwesomeness/pseuds/AwesomeAwesomeness
Summary: After a failed attempt to capture Zoom ends in Barry being wheelchair bound and publically disgraced the team thought the worse was behind them. But then a powerful mercenary duo lands on Earth-1 with one sole purpose...to kill the Flash.





	1. Chapter One

The Flash streaked through the city, a yellow blur that weaved in and out of traffic and through decrepit alleyways, saving anyone he came across. From muggers to small time robbers, and criminals too illusive for the CCPD to catch. During patrol Barry often had fun and the everlasting void in his chest lessened with every person he saved. But this time the void only grew larger and hungrier, thirsting for vengeance. Barry didn't want to stop small time criminals, he wanted to stop Zoom. To prove to both himself and the people of Central City that he was the same hero that the mayor awarded the key to the city to. Not the pathetic broken mess that Zoom paraded around the city. But the evil speedster hadn't shown his face since that night. A part of Barry wanted to believe that Zoom was hiding because he was afraid. But the reality was Zoom could kill him anytime he pleased. Jay wasn't any match for the villain and neither was Barry.

"You've been playing good Samaritan all morning. Take a break man."

Cisco had been saying that to Barry through the suit's comms since hour three of his patrol. Not that Barry showed any more sign of giving in since the first time Cisco asked. But now Barry couldn't deny that he was tired, that his legs ached, and his lungs were crying out for air. He stopped in an alley, kneeling over and pulling the cowl off of his head. The cool morning air hit his sweat stained face and hair inflicting a pleasant breeze. The speedster drug his hands across his face and through his damp hair.

"You okay man?" Cisco asked.

Barry sighed and leaned against alley wall. He looked past the alleyway and gazed at the portion of the city that was visible from his perspective. Everything was bright and happy. There were no Earth-2 metas or any metas for that matter. Everyone was safe, happy, and not in need of the Flash to save them.

He took a deep breath. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm on my way back."

Cisco let out a sigh of relief. "Good. Caitlin's worried sick about you. Thought her head was going to explode soon if you didn't slow down."

Barry tried to laugh at Cisco's joke but it came out as hollow and forced. That's a first, someone wanting him to slow down. In the wake of the Reverse Flash and Zoom all he ever heard was "Run Barry run!" as if he wasn't already pushing his body well past its limits in an attempt to push back against the never ending wave of meta human crime.  

"Can't have that happening." The engineer kept his tone light and pleasant as he was never one to confront Barry if he was having an off day unless the hero's emotions were getting in the way of saving the city.  

The line was silent for a moment barring the sound of Cisco's heavy breathing. Barry's heart spiked and fear stole his breath. His brain automatically went to Zoom. That he'd had enough of playing this sick and demented version of cat and mouse and finally started to take action. But his worry was for naught and a few seconds later he heard his friend exhale. 

"Just got a vibe. We have another breacher at Central City bank. He doesn't look to friendly."

Barry pulled the cowl over his head and sighed. 

"On it." Golden lighting sparked in the speedster's eyes and traveled across his suit in arcs. He bent down with the his fingertips touching the concrete then placed one foot behind him and the other in front. Pushing off of his back foot he ran, taking pleasure in the way the speed force thrummed throughout his body as he sped across the city. Barry's muscle cried out as he ran, pointedly reminding him that he that he wasn't at his best. He silently berated himself for wasting his energy on mundane crimes that he should have let the CCPD handle. 

Barry stopped across the street from the bank. CCPD officers walked the perimeter with their guns raised and squad cars crowded the area and blocked the road off from civilians. Captain Singh paced and barked orders into his walkie talkie. The speedster's heart sank and anxiety pooled in his belly. The meta must have taken hostages otherwise the police would have already stormed the building.

If Zoom's army wanted to kill him, fine. But leave innocent people out this.   

Energy renewed he flashed past the CCPD and into the bank. Civilians pressed themselves against the freshly polished marble floor or walls with wide fearful eyes and shaking hands. Some were typing frantically on their phones or clinging onto any friends or family that had been unfortunate enough to be present today. All except one. In the center of it all fair skinned woman was on her knees as a man gripped her auburn hair with one gloved hand and placed another on the soft skin underneath her chin.

Barry swallowed his rage at seeing people being treated so callously.

"I was expecting more. Zoom made it sound like you were an actual threat," said the man in a distorted voice then he gripped the woman's hair tighter and pulled. He was clothed in a black leather trench coat, combat boots, pants, and a thin turtle neck all of the same color. Thick black googles with electric blue trim covered half of his pale face, but they did nothing to hide his sadistic smirk.

Barry clenched his fists and drew in a ragged breath. "Your fight is with me," he said through gritted teeth, "so let her go."

The villain scoffed. "I'm not the one who'll be fighting you."

Pain dotted the Flash's vision as a fist connected with the side of his skull. He was flung into the wall to the side of him and the hostages cried out. Not because they were worried about him, but because the Flash was the only way they were making it out of this alive.

Barry picked himself up to see a woman standing over him. She wore a forest green leotard and knee high boots with white sheer fabric covering her dark skinned arms and legs. The dark clothing contrasted with the bright green ankle length cloak that draped her body. Green vines snaked up her arms and slithered through her delicate fingers and waist length chocolate brown hair effortlessly. A green domino mask concealed her identity.

"Name's Poison Ivy," she grinned maliciously, her black lips accented her gleaming white teeth, "Now you see if you want my husband to let that woman live then"- a vine between her index and middle finger broke away from the rest and sprouted a thorn-" you'll let me kill you."

Barry inhaled deeply. He looked at the hostage's wide tearful eyes and chest bobbing violently with each ragged breath. Her face was pinched in pain as the man dug his fingers deeper into her hair. But despite death being a mere inches away she didn't struggle nor scream. For some reason it reminded Barry of his mother at the center of the lighting storm. She screamed, but it was in fear of her family's life rather than her own as she also didn't struggle in the moments leading up to her death. His chest constricted at the thought. Every fiber in the speedster's body screamed at him to save the poor lady, but he didn't know how without killing himself in the process.

"Cisco?" he breathed. His friend had to have a plan, he always did.

"If you can run fast enough you might be able to get her away from him before he kills her. The guy didn't seem like a speedster when I vibed him."

Poison Ivy sighed and placed her hands on her hips. As if she was annoyed by his reluctance to basically commit suicide. "Just agree, I really don't want to drag this out longer than it has to be. I have _paying_ contracts to fulfill."

Barry ignored her and pressed his fingers to the comm in his suit. "And what if i can't?" he whispered. The line went silent. Cisco didn't have to explain. If Barry couldn't go fast enough then this woman would be added to the list of innocents that he was too slow to save and it would be his fault. Again.

Lighting flecked in Barry's irises and Poison Ivy's eyes widened. She turned to warn her husband but it was too late. Barry took off in a golden blur, running as fast as he could with his arms stretched out in front of him so he could grab the hostage. 

But it wasn't enough. Time slowed down around Barry, he could see the exact moment when his plan failed. The villain's muscle's tensed and his left foot pivoted to the right. Without hesitation he released sonic waves from the hand underneath the woman's chin. The victim's eyes widened and she let out a bloodcurdling scream just before her head exploded. Chunks of bloody brain matter splattered like paint after being thrown against a canvas. 

Barry was violently thrown back into real time. His cries were indistinguishable from the screams of the civilians around him. He wasn't sure if they were screaming for the woman who no longer could or for themselves, because the Flash wasn't fast enough to save them. Not fast enough to save his mom, or Eddie, or Ronnie. And certainly not fast enough to stop Zoom. He might never be. 

The man flicked his hands to shake off the blood that was slowly congealing on his glove. He frowned in disgust. "Well, this isn't coming out."

Maybe it was the nonchalant tone of the voice, or the way he didn't flinch as he took a woman's life. But Barry's vision became tinted with red and he surged toward the murderer. Barry slammed the man into a wall with hands closed around the guy's neck. The man gasped but didn't try to break Barry's grip. He placed his hands on the speedster's stomach, intending to rupture the hero's organs with a sonic blast, but Barry was faster this time. The man's head was slammed into a wall. He began to punch and kick at Barry's stomach and legs as his survival instinct drowned out all rational thought, but Flash was far too angry to feel much of anything.

It was like watching his mother die all over again.

The ground began to shake. The hero turned to look at the cause of this sudden earthquake, but did not loosen his grip. 

Poison Ivy's eyes glowed pink and she slammed her fingers into the wall. Thick green vines grew from the ground then crept up the walls. The vegetation devoured everything in it's path including the foundation of the bank. The walls began to crumble while the floors and ceiling cracked and splintered. The female meta's face was contorted in protective rage, and the previously harmless vines that enveloped her body became riddled with thorns that grew outward so as to not hurt their master. In this moment she looked like mother nature herself. Barry wasn't the only one who thought so. Even the civilians, which were consumed by panic, were wise enough to give the female meta a wide berth.

"Kill him." The words were spoken with a deadly calm as if she was requesting something as simple as a glass of water. She shot her arm forward causing the vines that encircled her arm to lunge toward Flash with their thorns poised to kill.

One vine buried itself in Barry's left shoulder. The excruciating pain of his now torn muscles and the pungent order of blood snapped him back to reality. He instantly let go of the woman's husband just in time to duck to avoid the other vines that, instead of killing him, became entombed in the wall. When the vines ripped themselves free an intricate spiderweb of cracks began to form on the wall and spread to the ceiling. The building began to crumble around the metas in earnest and would soon bury them alive if they didn't leave.   

But Barry didn't focus on colapsing building, instead he couldn't tear his eyes away from Poison Ivy's husband. The man was on all fours coughing and wheezing while rubbing his throat. Revulsion twisted the speedster's stomach as the rage finally cleared away enough for him to realize he would have killed him had the woman not stopped him. 

"Barry you've got to get out of there now! The building's coming down!" Cisco yelled through the intercom. Barry winced and rubbed his ear through the cowl. He looked back at Poison Ivy who was kneeling at her husband's side as floor underneath them shook. Giant peach colored petals rose from the ground and enclosed the pair. Slowly the plant sank into the ground and disappeared as if it had never been there in the first place.    

Taking a deep breath Barry turned to look at the headless corpse on the bank floor. He clenched his fists tightly and turned away with closed eyes. His overwhelming despair was only matched by his determination to never let something like this happen again. He would be faster next time and he would stop them... _the right way_. A piece of plaster slammed into the floor just inches away from killing him. So, he ran out of the bank, leaving the dead woman behind but still carrying a piece of her inside his soul.   


	2. Chapter 2

Barry grimaced and painfully gripped the side of the hospital bed with enough force that it was sure to leave indents. His shoulder felt like it was on fire as Caitlin stitched up his wound. Even after all this time he still hadn't gotten used to having his skin screwed with a sharp needle and sewed together with thread. Especially when the wound was so severe. For brief moment Barry wished he could disconnect himself from his shoulder just so the pain would stop.

"Done," sighed Caitlin. Her relief was pliable. She didn't like having to hurt her friend, even if it was for his benefit. "I'll need to take them out in a couple of hours."

Barry nodded distantly and stood up, not paying his doctor any mind. He ran his thumb along the stitches ignoring the pain the moment caused. Sometimes he wished his body could scar just to punish him for his failures. He let a woman die today, because he wasn't good enough, wasn't _fast_ enough. The Flash couldn't even catch the people who did this so now more innocent lives could be lost because of his weakness. Barry wished he could go back to how things used to be when he first got his powers. At the end of the day he would always catch the bad guy. It was the opposite now, the bad guys were the ones catching _him_.

The speedster felt a cool hand touch his bare shoulder. "It wasn't your fault Barry. There was nothing you could do."   

"I could have gone faster." Barry shook off Caitlin's hand and walked over to where his suit lay in the glass display case in the back of the room. He placed the palm of his hand above where the lighting emblem sat on the chest of the suit. "That's what the Flash is supposed to do." 

"Well I couldn't defeat them on my Earth," said Jay, "They are both too powerful to face alone." He was leaning against the wall opposite from the hospital bed. 

"What makes them so powerful?" asked Barry. He turned toward the former hero.

"The man is Frequency. His powers allow him to create and sense sound waves. Because of that he is able to sense the vibrations speedsters create as they run, meaning you'll telegraph your movements no matter how fast you go. He also trained with the League of Assassins making him deadly in close combat."-Jay let out an exasperated sigh-"Poison Ivy has the ability to control both dormant and active plants. Because of her physiology she is stronger, faster, and more durable than the average human. Deadly toxins also flow throughout her body that she can release at will. No has ever been able to match her power, because she is one the most powerful meta alive on my Earth."

Barry put his hands in his head and gripped his head with his fingers. He drew in a ragged breath. Unbidden, the memory of having his spin snapped in two by came to the forefront of his mind. Fear gripped his chest, making it harder for the speedster to breathe. What if he couldn't win? What if he ended up in a wheelchair again or worse...in the ground?

"That isn't helpful."

Harrison Wells stepped into the cortex with a scowl in place. His posture was ridged and expression stony. No emotion broke through his barrier other than his irritation for Jay, the man he claimed to be false hero. And yet Barry had been around the scientist long enough to notice the small things that revealed the man's worry. The small creases beside his eyes and the shifting of his eyes. But Harrison would never speak his doubts. He had to be an optimist for as along as his daughter's life was on the line.

"Surely there is some way Barry can beat them. A way you hadn't thought of during your time as the Flash." 

Jay curled his lips into a snarl. "Like there was a way to beat Zoom." 

The Cortex became so silent you could hear a pin drop. The tension was so thick one could cut it with a knife. No one talked about the incident. After Barry's spin healed Eobard's wheelchair was put back into the future room and the team moved on. No need to dwell on past failures. 

Even though Barry knew Jay had a point he was still angry that the former speedster brought it up. He wanted to forget his failure, not relive it. 

Harrison cleared his throat. "It does us no good to talk about our enemies strengths and forget their weaknesses in the process." Harrison turned to Barry and gave him a look so intense the speedster felt compelled to look away. "We'll find a way to defeat them the same way we did Sand Demon and Atom Smasher. In the mean time why don't you go home and spend time with your family and that girl...Patty."

"I can't just sit around and wait! We need to-"

Cisco sighed and interrupted Barry's rant with a dismissive wave. "We'll handle it, right now you need to rest. You've been punishing yourself all week go have fun." 

"But-"

Cisco smiled. "But nothing, now go shoo."

Barry bit his lip. He needed to stop those metas and Zoom if for nothing more than his own sanity. To do that he needed to be here working with his team to come up with a plan. But he couldn't deny the weariness in his bones and his frazzled state of mind. He wanted to see Patty and his family and let down his guard for once during this week. Still he was afraid that the moment he stopped Zoom would know and attack through one of the many breaches between his world and Barry's.

Maybe...maybe it would be a good idea to take a break if Barry was this paranoid.

"I'll see you all tomorrow." Barry turned and ran from cortex in a streak of golden lighting.  

Cisco turned to watch his friend leave. When he was sure Barry was gone he let his smile drop and bit his bottom lip instead. "I might know someone who can help, but Barry isn't going to like it."


	3. Chapter Three

Leonard and Cisco sat across from each other in a booth placed in a back corner of Saints and Sinners. The placed smelled of cheap beer, cigarettes, and body odor. The patrons stuck to themselves and whomever they came with. Remaining eye contact for more than few seconds resulted in a hostile glare that made Cisco want to run back to S.T.A.R. Labs. He was an outsider here, Saints and Sinners was located in a decrepit part of town full of crime and poverty. No matter how casual and unassuming he dressed, he’d never fit in.

But Snart looked at home in a grey turtleneck, dark jeans, and black combat boots. The cold gun wasn’t present, but with the steely look in his blue eyes, sardonic smirk, and muscles bulging through his shirt he still looked like a force to be reckoned with.

A waitress came to their table carrying a cold beer in one hand and a plate of salty fries in the other. Her blond hair was pulled back in a braided ponytail that had been flipped over her left shoulder. The woman’s uniform was a knee length dress checkered black and dark blue and three inch black heels. A silver lip and nose ring emphasized her porcelain face.

Upon coming over she glanced at Cisco with an unimpressed expression. She studied him from head to toe with attention that would have normally made Cisco blush but only succeeded in making him apprehensive.  

“Is this man bothering you Snart?”

Leonard shook his head. His expression grew softer. The smirk fell from his face and morphed into a fond smile as he looked at the waitress. “No, he’s here to discuss some...business. Thank you Abby.”

Abby never took her eyes off of Cisco as she nodded. “I’ll let you get to it.”

Cisco couldn’t help but stare at Leonard with an incredulous expression after Abby left. “Are you two...dating?”

Snart scowled and his eyes hardened again. “We aren’t here to discuss my personal life. As I said this is purely business.”

Cisco coughed uncomfortably and broke eye contact. Instead he became more interested with studying the patterns etched into the wooden table. The silence stretched on for a few moments as Cisco fidgeted in his chair. But Snart was patiently watching Cisco, not once taking his eyes off of the other man. When it became obvious the engineer wasn’t going to speak first he gave an exaggerated sigh.         

“Why are you here Cisco?” His voice had the same condescending tone one would use on a misbehaving child.

The engineer bristled. His instincts urged him to return Leonard’s snark but he resisted. The team needed the criminal’s help as much as he hated to admit it. So he took a deep breath instead.

“We need your-”

Leonard laughed it was a sharp mocking sound that made Cisco flush with anger.

_ How does Barry put up with this guy _ ?

“I know you need my help, otherwise you wouldn’t be here. What I’m asking is why are  _ you  _ here.

Barry made it clear that I was to stay away from his family and friends. If he needed my help he would have come here himself.”

“Barry doesn’t know I’m asking you for help.”

Leonard took a sip from his beer and laughed at Cisco’s affronted expression when Snart offered to let him take a sip.

“That’s probably for the best. Never liked asking for my help anyway since I let those metas go.”

“Now I see why,” Cisco mumbled.

“So does it have something to do with the situation at the bank this morning? Heard all on the news about Flash failing to save the day.”

Cisco felt a rush of protectiveness. He looked up so both men could make eye contact. “He did his best.”

Another sip. “That is debatable.”

Cisco opened his mouth to defend his friend only to be cut off by Snart’s dismissive wave. “So, you want my help taking them down? Is that it?”

“Yeah”-he swallowed-”Just keep an eye for them let us know the exact moment you see them.” A pause. “Will your Rouges help?”

Leonard shrugged. “Lisa and Mick might. They both love a good fight, but the others hate the Flash with a passion. Wouldn’t ask for help even if their own life was on the line.”

“Thank you,” Cisco said through gritted teeth.

“Whatever.” Snart turned his attention to his food and drink signaling that their conversation had come to an end.  

Cisco stood up feeling an odd mixture of both accomplishment and guilt. He knew that he was doing the right thing, Barry couldn’t fight the metas alone despite the speedster’s insistence that he could. But he was still lying to his best friend. And not a small lie either.

“Cisco?”

Cisco turned around. Leonard wasn’t looking at him, but the engineer knew the theif’s attention was fully directed at him.

“Yeah.”

“I’d appreciate if you could be discreet about Abby. She’s not involved in the Rogues if that is of any comfort.”

He sighed. “Sure.”

He was already lying to his best friend. One more lie couldn’t hurt.   


End file.
